The Enzyme System

Abstract

The differentiation between Dehydrogenases and Oxidases, though open to considerable criticisms, is retained here for purely practical reasons. Both groups belong to the great class of Desmolases which catalyze oxido-reductive processes of an essential dehydrogenating character. They might also be called Oxidoreducases, but it appears preferable to use instead the term Hydrokinases. The latter was originally introduced by Wieland as an alternative for “dehydrogenases” however, this term expresses beautifully the current concept underlying the action of all the enzymes of this class according to which they “cause hydrogen to move” (From the Greek ύ δως, hydrogen, κινϵῖν, move). The dehydrogenases and oxidases, as subgroups, are no longer distinguished with respect to fundamental divergence in theory but rather by the superficial form of their action and by their chemical constitution.